After an incredibly tough training week (13 hours 43 minutes) following two successive tough weeks (10 and 12 hours), the drive to Bloem on Friday was incredibly dangerous. 3 Red Bulls did the trick - barely. I was already suffering from exhaustion then - not so much from just high training volumes, but several nights of very little and bad quality sleep. See those 11 Youtube videos immediately below this post - I was determined to complete the series to a tight schedule: 1 week. What made it even more difficult was that towards the end, with all the work done, YOUTUBE burped back a few videos citing third party conflicts (YOUTUBE is being sued by record companies and artists for using music etc in content).
This meant a lot of painstaking work had to be redone, adding several handfuls of hours to job.
And added to this was the ordinary strain of work and added to that an unexpected highlight - being invited to Dubai on a press tour. The bizarre response to that invitation - which I won't go into right here = gave the whole thing a faintly nightmarish/horror movie hue.
Suffice it to say that Bloemfontein was a treat, but unexpectedly, it proved also to be something of an ongoing endurance contest. See, extremely tired, I found Bloemfontein to be insufferably hot during the day and then, also at night. The result - a continued fatigue debt.
Today, the 19th, was interesting. I had a fairly good drive up, leaving Bloem at about 6:30am. Not much fanfare - my girlfriend was almost asleep when I left. She deserved it though what with the huge meal we had at The Raj (with champagne and very tasty Indian food).
I stopped for a quick bite with 106km to go.
At work I had trouble issuing the newsletter, since credits wouldn't allocate. Quite unusual. The roads around work were unusually dug up, orange cones everywhere. After lunch I drove to get some birthday fare for colleagues. At an intersection a mini-bus taxi couldn't stop in time and ploughed into the rear end of a bakkie on my right. The impact pushed the bakkie forward and towards me, but fortunately avoided a direct hit.
Arriving home I found the landlady had parked her car in my garage, and a few minutes later the guy who rents her home arrived and told me he had seen her sneaking into my place when I was away. I've had problems with her storing milk in my fridge and making tea/coffee while I am out and what not. My computer also blew thanks to some faulty behind the plugs wiring - one of a host of dysfunctional analogies between house and owner of house.
Was nice to get so many well wishes from so many well wishers on Facebook.
I need to rest up now. It's interesting how the body resists giving up resources/reserves when it is dangerously fatigued. It has to be rested in order to work hard. Thus rest and relaxation is as much a matter of discipline as work...and this is the lesson I am in need of learning most. Getting unplugged.
I hope to return to a high state of fitness this year.
I intend to have another photographic exhibition and push the photographic side.
I also intend to launch a few odd little schemes on the side.
It's going to be a tough year, but it's up to us to make it meaningful; and worthwhile. If you're a regular visitor here - thanks for coming. Some of those lonely late nights are often in service to you.
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